Division of State Agencies Support Services

Vehicle Permanent Assignment

Please direct any correspondence relating to the permanent assignment of state-owned vehicles to permassign@admin.sc.gov or our Support Services and Regulatory Manager at 803-737-1508.

The S.C. Code of Laws Section 1-11-270 provides for the establishment of criteria for individual assignment of motor vehicles. The following serves as a summary of the primary areas of the statute:

Permanent assignments can based on the position an individual holds:

Governor

Statewide Elected Officials

Agency Heads

Agency Heads may assign a state-owned vehicle based on:

Law enforcement officers (as defined by agency head)

Specially equipped vehicles that enable an employee to do their job

Employee in an emergency response capacity after hours or for logistical reasons

No other employee unless it is determined to be cost advantageous to the state

The South Carolina Department of Administration (Admin) established the following policy directive regarding permanent assignments which mirrors this statute:

1-4 Assignment and Use

Assignment of a state vehicle for individual use shall not be made as a perquisite of office, except for statewide elected state officials and agency heads, or for the personal convenience of an individual, official or employee, nor shall personal assignment of a vehicle continue if there is no official need.

Assignment Criteria - The assignment of a state vehicle to an individual for exclusive use shall be based on the following criteria:

Travel requirements of an appropriate number of annual official miles as determined by Admin. Travel between home and a place of employment is not considered official travel unless authorized by regulation;

Vehicles required for the individual use of the Governor, and statewide elected state officials and agency heads shall be provided based solely on their office;

Vehicles may be assigned individually to full-time line law enforcement officers, as defined by agency heads. Full-time line law enforcement officers eligible for vehicle assignment shall be designated by each agency in accordance with Admin guidelines and assignments reevaluated annually during management review.

Vehicles essential to the performance of official duties by individuals whose remote location or total official business use requirements are such that they preclude shared or part-time use by members of the same or other work units;

Highly specialized vehicles and heavy equipment where operator training or technical skill requirements preclude use of the vehicle by individuals not possessing such training or skills;

Circumstances, as determined by the agency head, which warrant individual assignment in the best interests of the state;

When vehicles are permanently assigned to individuals the agency shall complete State Fleet Management (SFM) Form 980-R to be reviewed when either the vehicle or the employee changes. One copy of Form 980-R will be forwarded to SFM.

Using both the statute and policy directive above, it is up to each agency to determine if an individual employee should be designated as having a permanently assigned vehicle, regardless if that vehicle is owned or leased.

To register a new permanent assignment, withdraw an existing assignment, or update information on an existing permanent assignment, click here.

Completed forms or any electronic correspondence regarding permanent assignments should be emailed to permassign@admin.sc.gov. Questions should be directed to the Support Services and Regulatory Manager at 803-737-1508.

Only agency heads or their authorized designee (Signature Authority form must be on file with SFM) may approve or decline permanent assignments. Permanent assignments to line duty law enforcement officers must also be approved by the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

Additionally, an employee that commutes from their permanently assigned work location to and from the employee's home must reimburse the agency in which they are employed for commuting. Proviso 117.82 of the 2016-2017 Appropriations Act states the following:

Proviso: 117.82. (GP: Commuting Costs) State government employees who use a permanently assigned agency or state owned vehicle to commute from their permanently assigned work location to and from the employee’s home must reimburse the agency in which they are employed for commuting use in accordance with IRS regulations based on guidance from the Office of Comptroller General which must use the cents per mile rule, unless they are exempted from such reimbursement by applicable IRS regulations. These permanently assigned vehicles must be clearly marked as a state or agency vehicle through the use of permanent state-government license plates and either state or agency seal decals unless the vehicle is used primarily in undercover operations. This requirement does not apply to a vehicle used by an employee for the purpose of a special travel assignment, for active certified law enforcement officers authorized to carry firearms, execute warrants, and make arrests, for Constitutional Officers, or for Department of Transportation employees on call for emergency maintenance.